Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are cholinergic receptors which form ligand gated ion channels and consist of a variety of subtypes. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors regulate CNS and other physiological functions through mediation of the endogenous neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Accordingly, a wide variety of medical conditions (e.g., learning and eating disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, pain and chemical addiction) are associated with nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and may be treated or prevented with compounds that disrupt functioning of these receptors.
Thus, there is a continuing need for nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonists selective for a particular receptor subtype to treat and/or prevent a variety of disorders such as for example, drug addiction, neurodegenerative disorders, pain, etc.